


An Accident Called Life

by karrenia_rune



Category: Alphas
Genre: Angst, Gen, Humor, Male Friendship, Treat, Yuletide 2011, buddy fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-08
Updated: 2011-12-08
Packaged: 2017-10-27 01:48:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/290335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karrenia_rune/pseuds/karrenia_rune
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bill has noticed several disconcerting things about his friend and teammate Cameron Hicks, his game is off, his mood is dour at best, and being the concerned type Bill invites his friend out for a drink.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Accident Called Life

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Darkicedragon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darkicedragon/gifts).



Disclaimer: Alphas is an American science fiction dramatic television series created by Zak Penn and Michael Karnow. The series follows a group of people with superhuman abilities, known as "Alphas", as they work to prevent crimes committed by other Alphas. The series is broadcast in the United States on the cable channel Syfy and is a co-production between BermanBraun and Universal Cable Productions

 

"An Accident Called Life"

 

The signs were all there, if one cared to look for them. Given that they both worked for a man who specialized in clinical analysis, Bill rightfully figured that he’d learned to recognize the signs when he saw them.

Hicks was in a determined funk and had been for the past week or so. From a practical standpoint something had to be done about for the good of the team. From a purely personal standpoint Hicks’ attitude was just grating on his last nerve.

Being the up-front sort og guy that he was Bill also figured that he would confront the problem head-on. The only snag in the direct approach when it came to Hicks' emotional state normally resulted in him withdrawing even further into himself. 'So,' thought Bill. 'Some subtlety is called for here as well.

Cameron looked up from a spot on the ceiling that showed signs of having been used for target practice. Bill figured that if the other man did not mention it then neither would he. 'Sometimes, it the better part of valor to not comment on how others choose to hone their unique abilities, and at least he's using his hyper-kinesis on inanimate objects now.'

Bill debated on whether or not he should put in a request to Dr. Rosen for a tackling dummy or something along those lines, and then quickly squashed the wayward thought before it could pick up any others. Instead, he cleared his throat. “You busy?”

Cameron tore his fixed gaze away from the ceiling and looked toward where Bill Harken stood in front of the open door of his office. The big man had his hands stuffed into the pockets of his trousers and one foot tapping on the carpeted floor. “What the hell do you want?”

“Well, well, just a pleasant little ray of sunshine aren’t we? Well, truth to tell, I figured that since there’s not much else to do and we have the night off, why don’t you and I go to a bar. What do you say?”

“I say, piss off.”

Hardly deterred by this reaction Bill pressed on. “I don’t intend to do anything of the sort. I had hoped to convince you to do this the easy way, but I see that you’re determined to give me no choice in the matter.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

Bill sighed. “I’m talking about your piss-poor attitude of late! I’m talking that if we were living in a damn movie, you’d be the one with a perpetual rain cloud hanging over his head.” Bill realized that he’d been shouting and took a deep breath and then shuffled his feet on the carpet for a few moments before he calmed down. “Look, this isn’t going the way I’d hoped. What I wanted to do, is I think that we need is a change of scenery.”

“Hence the invitation to a bar?” Cameron Hicks had not been as oblivious or as self-absorbed as his teammate believed him to be and he knew that this invitation was as much as way of telling him to suck it up and get over it. In the back of his mind he thought, ‘Easier said than done but I’m not accomplishing anything about it by staring at the ceiling, so maybe Bill is right, maybe I do need a change of scenery.’

Aloud he said: “Yes.”

“Okay, I’m in. Why didn’t you just say so in the first place?” Cameron asked as he got up from his chair and attempted to put his rumpled clothing into order and then finger-combed through the short-cropped strands.

“Well, let’s go.”

“I did so say so, but for the record you didn’t give me much in the way of a conversational opening,” Bill replied.

“I know.”

Bill shrugged and decided that that line of argument really was not worth pursuing. And in tallying up the success rate thus far, he’d gotten him talking, moving and going to a bar. He thought, ‘We’re making progress, don’t mess up it now.’  
***  
The bar was on the east end of town, the marquee over the building glowing in neon-letters that read Electric Butterfly; a decent place that did not charge overly much cover upon entrance and served a moderately middle-to high-end clientele. He had half suspected that Hicks was expecting to be taken to some seedy dive. Hardly the sort of thing someone in Hicks’ present state needed and besides he wouldn’t do that to a friend or even a teammate.

As they sat a table near the rear of the building, but from a vantage point where they could get a good view of the central room, Hicks chose to order for the both of them; a decent lager in a pitcher.

“So, what now?”

“Thanks for the beer.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“You want to know something? As much as I’d like to beat around the proverbial bush….” Bill began and trailed off with a significant glance around the room at other table and then leaned forward in his chair. “You know I’m not the type, so I’ll just come right out and ask. What the hell has been eating you lately?”

“Lately?” Cameron replied. “I’ll try to make this as short and sweet as possible. So here goes, Life sucks and then you die.”

Bill shrugged. “This is a known fact, what of it? My grandfather used to tell me that life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans,” Bill remarked and then took a healthy swallow from his own glass.

“So, what then?” Cameron demanded. “It’s a crappy way to feel. So, why do you suggest I do, oh prophet Bill?”

“Get off it. “But then if you really felt that way you could have found any number of ways to kick the bucket. So why are you moping around?” Bill asked.

“I am not moping!” Cameron shouted so loud that he caught eye-tracks from other men and women seated or gathered around neighboring tables and the wait stuff going about; he at last calmed down and took a deep breath before he said in a quieter tone of voice. “I am not moping. And besides, your ability didn’t cause you to lose your significant other and your kid. Do you have kids?”

“No, me and the wife were planning to do, but somehow things just keep cropping up and the plans got pushed further and further onto the back-burner.”

Cameron shrugged: “So, then you don’t really understand.”

“No, not entirely, but try me,” Bill replied.

“I don’t know what’s worse at this point? It was bad when I couldn’t control my abilities and it was even worse when somebody else was pulling the strings. It's better now that I can control them.” Cameron took another deep gulp of the beer in his glass and then slammed it down on the surface of the table.

“Have you mentioned any of this to the Doc?” Bill asked, heaving a rather unhelpful sigh. They weren’t really all that different in terms of personality, world-views and tastes, but their experiences up until when they’d been recruited to join Dr. Rosen’s team of ‘special’ operatives had been incredibly different.

He could not be entirely certain but somehow without being able to point to any one thing but getting Cameron out of the building, his office, and out talking had been the right thing to do. It was a good first step, There needed to be more. He just wished he knew what that nebulous; something more, should be.

“Hey , man, let’s leave off discussing this heavy stuff and play a round of darts. I’ll even spot you the first few points.” Cameron suddenly exclaimed.

“No fair,” Bill replied. “Either we play fair and square or I’m not playing at all.”

“Hey, I had to make the gesture, just so you know I’m not pulling any punches here.” Cameron stated as he got up from his chair and walked over to the wall where an electronic game-board hung.

Bill soon joined him and said. “Sure, sounds good to me. I’m just glad that we’re not planning on wagering any money on the outcome.”

“See, I knew you were in.” Cameron grinned and retrieved the feathered darts from the tray mounted just underneath the board.  
Bill nodded and smiled, thinking in the back of his mind, ‘Good, no more blue funk, and now let’s just see how long it will last.’

After an half hour of taking turns and watching Cameron spin and twist, the movements of his hand and wrist so dazzlingly fast that it made Bill a bit dizzy that he could hardly keep up; the feathered dart seemingly to struck into the center of the bulls-eye with uncanny accuracy. He found that he was thinking one of two things: One that Cameron had seemed to come out of his funk and had becoming animated, almost happy even. The second, followed closely on the heels of the previous thought, was he extremely glad that he had not agreed to wager on the outcome of the game for money.

Finally, he waved his hands in the hair and conceded defeat.”

“I told you so,” Cameron smirked.

“I know, I know,” Bill replied. “But it’s getting late, I'll just head over and pay the tab and then let’s go home.”


End file.
